Nostalgia and gaming -- it's like butter and toast, beanies and hipsters, or Florida and terrible drivers -- one cannot exist without the other. It's weird because today we have games like the recent God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, titles that have almost blurred the lines of reality and completely redefined graphics; yet we'll never get over games like Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter II.
There are just some games that are immortalized, that no matter how old they get will never be forgotten. The PS2 specifically is loaded with classics, many that deserve to be remade so that a new generation can appreciate them.
Updated October 27, 2021 by Michael Abayomi: Since this list was originally published, some of the games that appeared on it have gotten announcements for remasters. The Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is looking to bring GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas to modern consoles, with improved visuals and an updated control scheme. They've also been rumors of full-blown remakes for some of the other games on the list. So in light of these recent developments, we figured it might be worth revisiting the topic to see what else might be coming down the pipeline.
10 SSX: Tricky
SSX Tricky is the best snowboarding game ever made, Shaun White be damned! This game is freaking crazy -- most of the time you're jumping off colossal mountains while break dancing on your board, all while shouting outdated 2000's catchphrases that will give anyone a good laugh.
The maps are incredibly dynamic, ranging from a futuristic Japanese techno amusement park to a slick frozen Hawaiian paradise. It's a game that is still as fun as the day it came out. Maybe even better as in this modern gaming climate we never see sports games that know how to have fun.
9 Burnout 3: Takedown
The Burnout series used to go toe to toe with the best that gaming had to offer, and is another fine example of a time when games knew not to take themselves so seriously. Burnout 3: Takedown is the height of the series, and today still feels like one of the fastest, most destructive racing games ever made.
One of the game's best modes had you crash into a busy intersection and scored you based on how much damage you caused in the area. It was wild fun. Explosions, intense driving, and some serious jams on the soundtrack make you feel like Michael Bay directed the game, but in a good way (if that's possible).
8 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Alright, this game is for sure overhyped and is on the lists of so many "remake" lists that it probably feels tiresome at this point. The best part is this game has clear flaws -- missions with garbage controls (we're looking at you remote control missions), graphics that look worse than some N64 games, and a soundtrack that is so trash (alright, just kidding, it's flames).
But all this makes us want a remake of the game even more. Maybe not even a direct remake, but at least another game that explores a decade as well as Vice City.
7 The Simpsons: Hit And Run
Following a Grand Theft Auto game is probably the best non-Grand Theft Auto clone ever made. Simpsons Hit and Run feels more like a Bully game, it's much less murdery, and a lot more juvenile. Almost like all the developers channeled their inner Bart Simpson, filling this game with tons of pranks, crude jokes, and a whole lot of fun.
It was one of the first, if not the first time that a successful TV show made a great game. While it was still further down the line, it opened the doors for other modern classics like the Southpark games. A remake is definitely a long shot, but we'll remain hopeful.
6 Fatal Frame
So you've played your Outlasts, your Amnesias, and your Silent Hills, not too shabby, but have you played Fatal Frame? Because those are some of the best horror games ever made and Fatal Frame stands right alongside them. You're up against ghosts, creeps, monsters, and some of the scariest things ever designed, and as defense, all you have is a camera.
It's not fair in any sense of the meaning, but that only makes it more terrifying. The last game came out in 2014 for the Wii U, and it even received a nod as an assist trophy in the latest Smash game, meaning there's no better time for a remake of this classic.
5 The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
We're spoiled today, not only do we get excellent (but tedious as of late) superhero movies, but we also get pretty awesome superhero games. But in the midst of all the superhero trash that was being released in the '90s and early 2000s, we got this gem.
Incredible Hulk: Destruction does everything that a Hulk game should -- it's simple, easy to pick up and you smash a lot of stuff. Like the recent Spider-Man game, it really does the character justice, and hopefully, we can see a remake or at least a new game.
4 Silent Hill 2
You're not a real horror game fan until you play Silent Hill 2. And yeah, I hate the "real fan" argument just as much as the next guy or gal -- like you're not a "real" movie buff until you've watched Citizen Kane or you're not a "real" basketball fan unless you watch all 82 games -- it's tiresome to keep up with.
But when it comes to horror games and Silent Hill 2, it's nothing but the truth. This is the kind of game that you lock in a box because you feel like it actually has some demonic power that's going to one day get you. While it's received some HD treatment over the years, a proper remake is in order.
3 Viewtiful Joe
So I'm no businessman, but guessing that when Clover Studio, the company behind Viewtiful Joe went bankrupt in 2007 we basically kissed all our chances of a remake goodbye. But it's just so tragic to see, not only because the game still holds up as one of the most unique side-scrollers of all time, but also because if it was released today the gaming world would be set ablaze.
Instead, it's one of those pre-internet explosion games that will sit back in obscurity, only to be remembered by gamers who had a PS2/GameCube at the time. So while there's maybe a one to two percent chance of a remake, we'll still remain hopeful.
2 Jak And Daxter
Sony has released so many excellent titles over the years that it becomes inevitable for some games to fall into the shadows. Jak and Daxter is one of the best examples of one of those games that hasn't received proper treatment in years, and who knows if it ever will.
The game was a 3D platformer that at times felt like it was competing against Ratchet and Clank, another console exclusive. It's clear today that Ratchet And Clank won the battle for Sony's affection as a fantastic release came out in 2016 and Jak and Daxter hasn't seen a new addition since 2009.
1 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
The Metal Gear games are some of the best that gaming has ever seen, and the third is arguably one of the best. In many rights, this classic still holds up as it reaches 60 fps on PS3 and has some shiny new graphics in the MSG collection. But now that Kojima has been wrongfully outed from the series he birthed, we think a final MSG collection would be a fantastic way to close out the franchise.
It's clear that Konami loves money, even if it means releasing sub-par, disrespectful games -- so why not make something of quality by remastering all the old games and putting them in one fantastic package.